Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s Musings from Goa may have amused some and irked others but does it amount to anything? If Vajpayee expected the nation to sit up, he must be disappointed because it has not happened. While his own party people dismiss the Musings as nothing new, the opposition parties have criticised it on the ground that it is double-speak. What is so special about these Musings? Actually, this is not the first time any prime minister came up with such thoughts. The President of the United States of america addresses the nation every Saturday on any current issue which agitates the minds of the people. In these radio speeches, the President tries to clarify many aspects. Closer home, Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru used to write letters to Chief Ministers in which many points were clarified and these are available for reference even today. Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi also sometimes came up with her ‘stray thoughts.’ In fact, many leaders of yesteryear were good at communicating their thoughts to the people. So one should not raise eyebrows at the timing of the Musings. Holidays seem to be the time for the Prime Minister to reflect and this came in the form of musings first from Komaraham two years ago.

Though no one expected the second instalment, his Musings from Goa show that the PM has put on his thinking cap. The beautiful beach, the white sand, the clear blue sky and the rest of the festive Christmas atmosphere in Goa must have provoked these thoughts. After all, the Prime Minister finds little time for reflection, and it is only right that he clarifies his stand on controversial issues.

Three interesting points come out from the Goa Musings. The basic stress is that Hindutva should not be perceived in a narrow sense as it is synonymous with secularism. It is not narrow or opposed to secularism as some make it out to be. This is also an appeal to the voters of Himachal Pradesh. If the BJP repeats the Gujarat success here , it will be another feather in its cap.

The second aspect deals with Pakistan and resolving the Kashmir issue and the third with development. It is the first aspect on Hindutva which has generated sharp reactions.

If one analyses the Goa Musings, it can be interpreted in different ways although Vajpayee has not said anything startling. Basically he is trying to dilute the sharp reaction on the Gujarat results. His Hindutva is still the grandfather of secularism. Nobody may agree with this or accept it but this is the message he wants to convey. Interestingly, Deputy Prime Minister L. K. Advani too had come up with his interpretation of Hindutva recently. His explanation is that Hindutva is a way of life and one should not be apologetic about it. In fact, there have been too many explanations after the Gujarat success and replacing ‘Hindutva’ with the term ‘cultural nationalism’ is one of them.

The ambiguous language used in his Goa Musings helps Vajpayee to answer the concerns of different and conflicting constituencies. He has to primarily appeal to three constituencies. One is the Sangh Parivar where he has to sound that he is on board with the family on Hindutva. The second is the NDA partners to whom he has to show some level of distancing from a hardline stand. The third is the international community where he has to show that he is a statesman and not a religious fundamentalist.

Let us see how his Musings on Hindutva can resonate with a victorious Sangh-Parivar in the aftermath of the Gujarat results. Vajpayee has to show that he is first and foremost a Hindutva proponent just like the other Sangh parivaris. Therefore his statement that Hindutva is synonymous with secularism gives a seal of approval to the Sangh Parivar’s clarion call.

Vajpayee was careful not to name VHP leader Togadia who has been making rabble-rousing speeches against the Muslims.

With the NDA, Vajpayee has to show himself as a statesman who is above the partisan politics of the BJP or the Sangh Parivar. His liberal face has to remain credible with the allies. The NDA leaders are worried that the BJP may resort to partisan religious electioneering in the upcoming Assembly and Lok Sabha elections. While the NDA partners are fighting Assembly polls on an individual basis, the Lok Sabha elections are different. It remains to be seen how many NDA allies will remain on board at the time of the Lok Sabha polls. Hence, Vajpayee’s reference to the all-inclusive nature of Hindutva irrespective of caste, creed and religion.

The hollowness of Vajpayee’s Musings can be seen in the ambiguous way in which Hindutva is portrayed. If what he says is true, that it is all-inclusive, then there is no need to demonise the Muslims as being anti-Indian. Muslims would not have to prove anything to be recognised as Indians. But if Vajpayee’s definition of Hindutva corresponds to that of the Sangh Parivar, then it is up to the Muslims to prove they are not anti-India and by definition anti-Hindu. But how can they prove that? The charge against Muslims is that they have not condemned terrorism and that they should come out against Pakistan. If Muslim leaders do that will they be considered loyal Indians? These points are not very clear.